London Socialist Historians Group
3rd July
Contact Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266
Historians accuse David Starkey of avoiding realities of Tudor history
The London Socialist Historians Group, which organises the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research in central London has accused David Starkey of avoiding the realities of Tudor history.
In a widely publicised YouTube interview on Thursday Starkey made a number of bigoted comments about the Black Lives Matters movement.
However in a brief section he touched on the area that he has been a specialist in, Tudor history.
Starkey claimed that while one could find examples of black people in Tudor England such as Henry V111’s trumpeter John Blanke, there was little wider evidence.
He suggested that Dr Miranda Kaufman’s book on the Black Tudors consisted of chapters that were half in italics because there was little historical evidence. In fact the first paragraph of each chapter is italicised and the remainder is copiously footnoted
On Thursday Starkey resigned as a member of the Mary Rose Trust Board suggesting that he privately recognises that his public statements don’t fit historical reality. Attempts were made, documented by Dr Kaufman, to raise the ship in the Tudor period, involving African diving specialist Jacques Francis.
London Socialist Historians convenor Dr Keith Flett said, David Starkey’s Tudor history is out of date and his wider views belong in the Victorian era. Its time for him to leave public life.
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